Undercover Edibles

Undercover Edibles

Article excerpt

Ronald Koo and Miwa Hayashi had seemingly conflicting visions when they thought of redesigning their Los Altos, California, front yard. Koo wanted lowwater plants, while Hayashi imagined a lush garden. Oh, and the couple wanted to grow food too: "If I'm going to spend money on a garden," says Koo, "I want to get some return."

Designer Leslie Bennett, owner of Oaklandbased Pine House Edible Gardens (pinehouse ediblegardens.com), was up for the challenge. First, as a throwback to Koo's childhood in the dry Sierra Foothills, Bennett and the team from her former company (Star Apple Edible Gardens) kept the yard's existing manzanita bushes, added silver-leafed fuchsias (Zauschneria septentrionalis), and seeded blocks (with Koo's help) of iconic orange poppies. "The garden is at its most beautiful after the rainy season when they're in bloom," he says. …